Tag: Blasphemy

Pakistan court acquits all suspects in 2013 arson of Christian neighbourhood

January 31, 2017 Pakistan Blasphemy, Gojra, Joseph Colony, Lahore, Punjab, Sawan Masih, Sweepers

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Saturday (28 Jan) acquitted every one of the more than 100 suspects accused of ransacking, looting and then burning a Christian neighbourhood in Lahore in March 2013. Pakistani Christians gather outside the Joseph Colony in Lahore on 10 March 2013, the day after more than . . . Read More

Pakistan PM premature in saying country will soon be ‘minority-friendly’

January 31, 2017 Pakistan Blasphemy, Jamaat-e-Islami, Minorities, Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party, Punjab, Sindh

Pakistan’s Prime Minister has said “the day is not far off when Pakistan will internationally be known as a minority-friendly country”. Pakistani Christians hold candles at a rally in Lahore on 29 March, 2016, after a terrorist attack claimed the lives of more than 70 people celebrating Easter. Meanwhile, a . . . Read More

Indonesia Christians seek action against Islamists

January 25, 2017 Indonesia Aceh, Ahok, Blasphemy, Indonesia, Islamic Defenders Front, Joko Widodo, Minorities, Sharia

Indonesia’s Christian leaders have urged the country’s president, Joko Widodo, to take action against a radical Islamist group. This comes after a petition called for the disbandment of the group, which is accused of being responsible for a series of violent attacks against Christians. The Christian leaders said the Islamic . . . Read More

Christian removed from role after Muslim protests

January 16, 2017 Indonesia Ahok, Blasphemy, Indonesia, Islamic extremism, Yogyakarta

Indonesian authorities have removed a Catholic from his role as the head of a sub-district after protests from Muslim residents at the appointment of a Christian. Yulius Suharto, head of the Pajangan sub-district in the Bantul Regency of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, was only appointed on 30 December but . . . Read More

Indonesia religious freedom violation ‘increasing’

January 13, 2017 Indonesia Ahok, Blasphemy, Indonesia, Jakarta, Java, Religious freedom

Indonesia has shown a steady increase in violations of religious freedom over the past year, according to the country’s National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM). In 2016, Komnas HAM received 97 reports of violations, compared to 87 in 2015 and 74 in 2014, according to the organisation’s faith freedom . . . Read More

A year in prison for Algerian Christian for Facebook post

January 12, 2017 Algeria Algeria, Berbers, Blasphemy, Setif, Slimane Bouhafs

An Algerian Christian has been sentenced to a year in prison for a post he made on Facebook. On 8 January, the court in Bouira (100 km east of Algiers) found Samir Chamek, 34, guilty of insulting Islam and its prophet over items he posted on his Facebook page. Samir says . . . Read More

Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy after ripped Qur’an found outside home

January 6, 2017 Pakistan Asia Bibi, Blasphemy, Imran Khan, Islamic extremism, Lahore, Mumtaz Qadri, Salmaan Taseer, Shaan Taseer, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan

A Pakistani Christian could face 10 years in jail or even the death sentence after torn pages from a copy of the Qur’an were found outside his home, with his name written on them. Babu Shahbaz Masih, 40, from the Kamahan district of Lahore, was arrested on 30 December after . . . Read More

Governor Taseer’s son accused of hate speech

January 3, 2017 Pakistan Apostasy, Asia Bibi, Blasphemy, Christmas, Imran Khan, Mumtaz Qadri, Pakistan, Prophet Muhammad, Salmaan Taseer, Shaan Taseer

The son of a senior politician murdered six years ago for criticising Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law has been accused of committing “hate speech” for echoing the criticism. Shaan Taseer, son of the former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, said the law was “inhumane” during a filmed Christmas message shared via social . . . Read More

Indonesia: Islamists stop Christmas celebrations

December 14, 2016 Indonesia Ahok, Bandung, Blasphemy, Christmas, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, Islamic extremism, Jakarta, Java

An Indonesian church’s Christmas celebrations were stopped on 6 Dec. by members of a local Islamist group in Bandung, who protested that such services should take place in a church, not a public space. The mayor of Bandung, capital of the West Java province, wrote on his official Instagram account: . . . Read More

Indonesian Christian governor insists ‘no insult intended’ as ‘blasphemy’ trial begins

December 13, 2016 Indonesia Ahok, Blasphemy, Islamic extremism, Jakarta, Kalimantan, Sumatra

UPDATE (13 Dec.) Indonesian Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (better known as “Ahok”), fought back tears during the first day of his blasphemy trial today (13 Dec.). Ahok – only the second Christian and the second governor of Chinese descent to lead the Indonesian capital city, Jakarta – is alleged to have “misused” . . . Read More

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